Shadow - Sequel To Light

Chapter Twenty: Warily Watching

As Inés, Liam and Borislav ran to the first challenge, my mind began linking the events that had happened since our foe had come on the scene. Slowly, the large, abstract picture I had in my head was coming into focus but there were still some things missing. The cheering intensified around me and I knew they had made it to their challenge. I pushed my clue, and all the connections it was bringing, and focused on the challenge. If I was making the right connections, watching the challenge was going to be important.

The first challenge the champions had to face was Krum's. True to his nature, Krum's challenge was physical. The champions had to figure out how to get over a stone wall without levitation or walking through the wall and no champion could use the same spell as the others. Inès, ever the smart cookie, called forth vines to lift her over the wall. It was perfectly legal because it was the vines that picked her up, not a levitation spell.

Liam was the next to figure out the challenge, making suction cups sprout on his hands and knees and simply crawling up the wall. The way he crawled sent a chill down my spine, it was as though he were a snake stalking his prey. When he made it to the other side, he slowly straightened and made the suction cups disappear then turned to the crowd with a cocky smirk. His eyes, yet again found me and his smirk deepened. This was all just a game to him and I wasn't sure just how far he liked to play.

Borislav, being not the brightest of them all, took long moments to figure out what to do. Inés and Liam both moved to challenge two while he struggled to get through. Finally, as though a light bulb went off in his head, he turned himself to what looked like steel and began to pummel the wall. Before we knew it, there was a gaping hole in the middle of the wall and he walked right through, quickly running to the next challenge.

Lady Lorne's challenge was up and, though unconventional, I predicted it would be much harder than anybody would expect at first glance. Lady Lorne was a peculiar witch when it came to her interest, often favoring things you would not think she would by her outward appearance. The challenge she made for the champions incorporated etiquette, fast thinking and a intricate knowledge of defensive and offensive spells. The champions would duel against each other and the one who beat the others would get a head start on the final obstacle. The remaining two would duel for a shorter head start and the loser among them would get the shortest time to figure out the final obstacle.

Since Inés and Liam were the first through the first obstacle they were challenging each other first. Inés had the etiquette of dueling down but I had to admit Liam was far more advanced at dueling than he should have been for his age. At one point, I feared for Inés life but she pulled out of the fight with a sneak attack while he gloated above her. A bell sounded, alerting us that Inés had won and could move on. A potion landed in her hand so she could walk through the wall to the last obstacle.

Borislav smiled cruelly at Liam, who was sneering at the wall where Inés had run through. His eyes seemed to darken and he turned back to Borislav, preparing for their dual. Ron got up to explain the rules firmly, trying to assure that nobody get killed out there, then they commenced the duel. Liam attacked first, aggressively ignoring Ron's words and putting us on the edge of our seats. Luckily, Borislav evaded it and counter attacked. The duel went on like this for long moments until Borislav got the upper hand. Liam's cockiness and anger drove him to make stupid mistakes and they cost him. The bell rang and Borislav drank his potion to get through the wall as Inés had done.

While the boys had dueled, Inés had moved on the the last, multi-part obstacle. The first part, designed by Harry and Ron had been a mixture of their favorite things. The champions had to beat an enchanted board of wizards chess to open a chest that had a broomstick in it. Once they got the broomstick they were given a riddle and they had to chase the flying ingredients to make a potion to answer the riddle. When the potion, which if done right would put them into a temporary, deep sleep where their deepest fears would be projected to the audience, was done the champion would then have to face their fear. The potion I selected was confirmed to only allow a person out of their sleep when they beat the fear and each champion had to devise a magical way to beat it.